Winter Gift
by sweetsnow73
Summary: (Story has a little NorBela too) Sofiya can't fly out to see her lover, nothing is flying IN either...well almost nothing.


It's cold and it hits her instantly. The second Sofiya stepped out of her house she knew her plans were canceled. You didn't get to be as old as some of the nations were without being able to read the weather. Already there was a thick layer of snow on the ground and it looked like it was going to be more of the same. Thick flakes fell to the cold earth and she sighs and rolls her bag back inside.

She calls the airport and confirms her fears, canceled flights all around. Nothing was leaving Ukraine and nothing was coming in. She sighs and hangs up the phone. She looks around the dark hallway and feels as if something is out to get her. She had wanted to surprise him, both Berwald and herself had planned on not being able to spend anytime together this year during the holiday season. They had been very busy, like a nation usually is, and missed a lot of opportunities to be together. But she had sometime off now and had been too happy, perhaps this was a gentle slap down to remember not to get too comfortable at good fortune.

She grabs a blanket and sits back on her couch, she picks up her needlework and continues where she had left off. No sense in wasting the time, she had been rested for an all night flight and would be unlikely to fall asleep if she tried. She could at least be productive. When she finally did sleep it must have fallen asleep near dawn, she vaguely remembers pink sky but not falling asleep. In the morning light it was as she had feared. Outside was snow piled too high for her to even leave her house, she stood on her porch and kicked some of the drift.

Looks like she'd be stuck in her home for a few days if not weeks. She was well prepared for such a scenario but she dreaded not being able to go anywhere, even into to the nearest town. She didn't really celebrate the Christmas holiday like Berwald did, he would have the kids over and maybe some of his brothers and it was all just...warm and full of family. She wasn't really allowed to talk to her family still, any holiday was spent with her people and while she loved them it wasn't the same. She closes the door behind her and tried to block out the suffocating sight of snow.

She gets a few phone calls, her boss, a few of her political aides...they start to blur together though. She wants to hear the voice of a special few people. She reads and knits and treks to the barn. Reads papers and draws up plans and makes even more calls. She's stuck here, but whittles away the hours the best she can.

Shes got enough things to keep her busy, she had planned on a week off to visit but slowly Christmas creeps up and she imagines what Berwald's house must look like. Peter and Johan are probably staying with him. Unless Arthur let Peter over for the holiday. Berwald's called and they talked for a while, but he had to go and she missed him. It wasn't the same. She tried to call her sister but didn't get through. She debated calling her brother but knew her boss wouldn't like it at all.

They were all busy and didn't need her, at least a few days passed and the snow melted a bit, a short lived victory for a new storm system was coming. On Christmas Eve she tries to call him. But couldn't get through. Answering machine, answering machine and then finally Johan answers and he regales her with the story of a recent 'victory' against Berwald but not the man in question himself. She inflates his ego, knowing it would make him happy. They keep talking, happy to hear his voice and he seemed happy to talk to her. In his own way. She tries to just keep him talking, until,

"Yeah he said he had a date or something, I just figured it was you, where are you anyway? I'm suck with the spikey haired dofus so I hope you're having fun or something..."

She doesn't have the heart to tell him that she's in her own country and Berwald couldn't possibly get to her for a date. When she called about flights that newer storm system had landed plans and just ended any hope she had left of getting out. She takes the news of this date in stride. She definitely didn't want to tip the boy off that he had let loose a terrible thing. She felt it was terrible. She says something, she can't remember exactly but it makes the boy continue chattering. She's sad about this situation.

They hang up and she turns on the radio, she needs to fill the silence now. The storm is predicted to pitter out and she'll need to call someone to plow her out, she decides she needs to get back to the office. She needs to be busy and not think. Her clock chimes and she realizes its already dark out, the snow is just light flakes now and she begins to pack up her sewing kit. She'll go to bed early.

She's about to take the first step on her stairs when she hears it.

Bells.

Then the sound of crunching snow and soft voices.

She walks to her front door, nearly at her back from the stairs and puts an ear up to it. It could be thieves of some kind but she can't be sure. She doubted anyone would come all the way up to her house, it wasn't a beneficial return of investment. They would have had to get up the hill and stomp through deep snow.

There is a quiet knock at her door and she lets out a yelp.

She looks around and tries to find a weapon. The same quiet voices as before start to talk. She finds something to use as a club and prepares to fight. There is creaking on her porch, her old floor boards groaning as someone walks.

She opens the door slowly peeking out, she see's Tino.

"No stay in the sleigh!" He yells over at the sleigh. She opens the door a little more. At least she wasn't being robbed and didn't have to hurt anyone, but it was still cold out there.

"Ah!", In his full Santa outfit Tino looks adorable, she's always thought so. He claps his mittened hands and smiles at her.

"You _are_ home, perfect. Alright I have two things for you Ms. Ukraine." He rummages through the sack at his feet and she spots her sister sitting in the sleigh parked on her lawn. Her sister is bundled up and frowning at Finland's back. She waves a little and she sees a small wave back.

"Ah, if you don't mind me asking, why is my little sister in your sleigh?"

He looks back over at Belarus and then to her.

"Special delivery to Norway," he says with that smile of his, he takes out a small box and hands it to her. It was covered in seasonal wrapping paper, though mature and muted in color. He then waves his hand in a beckoning way.

"I have a special delivery from Sweden for you."

She opens her door wide and sees someone tall approach from the dark side of the porch. It takes only a few steps before she realizes its her boyfriend. She steps out into the cold and meets him half way, he looks as if he has something on his mind.

She doesn't know what to say, she truly never expected this.

"Merry Christmas." he says in that deep soothing voice and she can't stop herself form hugging him. She realizes now that what Johan had said was true. It just took a while for him to get here. She could only imagine what flying around in the sleigh would have been like.

"Hey now, just a second." She looks back at Tino as he drags his sack over to them, she couldn't imagine much more than this. Very few things could possibly make this moment better.

He takes out a very large bright red bow from the bag and slaps it into place on Berwald's coat. It sits like a boutonniere and is comically over sized even on his large chest.

"There we go! Wrapped up perfectly! Merry Christmas Ms. Ukraine!" Tino skips off back to his sleigh without a second glance. He's going to be busy all night, even if he only did the nations and kin.

"I have to remember to get him something" she says to herself, when she looks back to Berwald she sees a small smile, perhaps in agreement or maybe just happiness.

The two of them watch as the sleigh disappears, turning into a dot in the middle of a light snow fall. She leans back into him, finding her spot in his arms.

It was cold outside but she felt so warm.

* * *

Most people seem to think that Ukraine would probably be Russian Orthodox which means for her Christmas would be on January 7th not December 25th. But I think Berwald would probably celebrate on the 25th? In the US Christmas is a family holiday, in Japan it's a lovers holiday and Himaruya has Finland giving all the countries presents at once on what I'm guessing is December 25th, so it's hard to peg (If anything shouldn't Finland observe each nations Christmas holiday or equivalent?) and I'm hardly an expert on holidays in other nations. For the sake of simplicity I've pictured a type of family get together for Ber on the 25th and Ukraine's holiday being on the 7th. And if Ukraine did indeed celebrate on the 7th, it would be rather lonely because she's still not really able to spend time with her family, so the appeal of any kind of big get together is huge. While having Berwald for Christmas isn't the same as being at his place with his family, it's still pretty good, so she doesn't have to be lonely.

I hope all that made sense.

This was ridiculously inspired by one of the few Christmas songs I like: All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey


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